Fantôme d'une Femme
by Anonymistress
Summary: "Frankly, you're ridiculous, Gabriel." Gabriel Agreste sees Mama Agreste's ghost on a daily basis. The haunting woman is slowly fading away... But in the meantime, she's trying to make the most of her afterlife with bad jokes!


Another long day... And not any closer to the Ladybug earrings and Chat Noir ring than he had been when he started. "Curse you, Ladybug, one day, I will have your miraculous! And then, no one will resist me!" he yelled as the window to his lair closed.

"Frankly, you're ridiculous, Gabriel," chuckled a soft voice behind him.

The cloaked man spun around. "Adele! What did I say about scaring me like that?"

The blonde woman let out another chuckle. "What's with the theatrics, hmm? You focus more on monologuing than trying to get the miraculous."

He sighed, and looked at the floor in shame. "You're right... I should act more serious. Nooroo, dark wings, fall!" he called, and his civilian form was revealed.

"Really?" she quipped, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

The man chuckled, "I can't help it, my dearest Adele. It's an Agreste thing - we can't help but be-" Gabriel strikes a pose- _"Fabulous~"_

His wife snickered, before bursting out in laughter. "If by fabulous, you mean melodramatic and ridiculous! I mean, come on, Gabriel... You don't even have an anime girl transformation, and you are even more extra than those so called heroes!" She let out a sigh, but the smile didn't leave her face.

He smiled at her, and reached to touch her. "My beautiful wife..."

She smiled back at him, beamed, really. For a second, their fingers met, before Gabriel's slipped right through. Her smiled faded into a frown, and her eyes lowered. "It's getting worse..."

"You're right..." He grimly nodded. "How much longer do you have?"

She shook her head. "Not long enough... My dear papillon, I fade faster when I am not near you. I can't even leave this house any more..."

His eyes widened. "No... I can't touch you, I can hardly see you... You're so transparent... Like a... Like..."

"A ghost," she whispered, her eyes finally meeting his, confirming the thought he wouldn't dare say. Tears gathered in her eyes. "It won't be long now, my dear... I can feel the pull, it becomes tougher every day."

He clenched his fist. "I will save you, my sweet Adele. I don't care what I have to do... I will save you from this fate. I will give up this world for you... I would do anything, anything at all."

She lowers her eyes, with a sigh. "Adrien... Why do we not spend more time with him? He needs his father."

"He needs his mother more. He deserves to have you again... And I swear he will," he vowed, closing his eyes.

"What about your company? Who will run it while you are so busy?" she asked, cocking her head at him.

He shook his head. "The company doesn't matter while you are gone, but Nathalie will take care of it the best she can."

"Those victims... The akuma victims, they deserve better, don't they?" she pleaded, eyes watering.

Gabriel opened his eyes, and met the eyes of his wife, surprise in his. "Are you... Have you lost faith in me, Adele?"

She slowly shook her head. "I... I think it might be best if we let go... Of this. Of papillon and paon, of chat and ladybug. I have little time... And I don't want to spend it watching you try to be something you're not. My dearest Gabriel... You do not have to be a supervillain. And in your eyes... I see... You don't want to."

He broke eye contact with her, staring at the floor once more. "Nobody wants to become a villain, my sweet Adele... But I have to. Who else will save you, if not me? I know what I must do... No matter the cost." He let out a sigh.

The blonde woman looked so sad... She stared at him. "Oh, Gabriel," she whispered, slowly shaking her head.

"My wife..." He embraced her, or tried to, only to pass right through. But that didn't stop him from making the action. He bit back tears. No... Supervillains don't cry.

She slowly hugged him back, before letting out a bleak chuckle. "You're so sad right now... You could probably akumatize yourself, huh?" she asked, wiping a tear from her cheek.

He chuckled, a soft, shimmering light in his eyes, and nodded. "Yeah... I probably could."

"But you won't," she confirmed, with a slight nod.

The fashion designer smiled. "No... I won't." He sighed, and glanced at the kwami that had been silent, simply watching. There were tears streaming down the purple bug's cheeks.

"M-master?" asked Nooroo, noticing the man's intense stare.

He chuckled. "You can see her, can't you?" he asked, the light shining in his eyes.

The kwami nodded, smiling sadly. "Yeah, I can..."

"Like I told you before..."

"I can see all your hallucinations."


End file.
